Wire tension controlling device



' R.'F. KREJ'CI WIRE Tmsftm CONTROLLING DEVICE Jan. 4, 1938.

, Filed se t. 2a, 1934 Inventor: Robert F. Kre'c'l, by 1 His AttorneyPatented Jan. 4,1938

WIRE TENSIOM CONTROLLING DEVICE Robert F. Kreici, clcvelandglleights,Ohio, as-

slgnor'uto General Electric a cor-' notation of New'York ApplicationSeptember 28, 1934, Serial No. 745,862

-1 Olaim. (01. 242-45) My invention relates to apparatus for controlling the tension of wire in wire-working and, treating machines, andmore particularly to apparatus .for governing the amount of wire un-'reeled and the tension of said wire in said machines, Wire tensioncontrolling means are particularly desirable in wire working andtreating machines, especially when a line or coiled wire is being used,as more accurate control oi their operations is provided and less dangerof deformation and injury is presented. Such means are necessary in theannealing of incandescent lamp filaments, the operation of whichconsists in drawing through an annealing furnace, from one spool toanother, a mandrel having the'j'iilarnent coiled thereabout. flhemandrel arid lfllament coil assembly is so line as to be easilydistorted by the high annealing heat so that n'ieans are provided, incombination with tension-controlling apparatus of my invention, forwinding and unwinding the wire assembly fromQthe: When winding andunwinding meansare provided, some means such as that of my inven-- tionis required to compensate for the change in rate of movement of the;wire with the --spools filled and nearly empty.

One object of my invention is to provide means for controlling thetension of wire in wire work ing and treating machines. Another objectof my invention is to providewire tension controlling apparatus incombination with wire unreeling means. Another object o! my invention isto provide wire tension controlling apparatus capable of exerting a verysmall tension force and of such low inertia as to be very responsive.

In the drawing. Fi 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the apparatus ofmyinvention in com bination with a filament coil annealing machine; 7Figs. 2 and 3 are end and sectional views or the switch assembly of theapparatus of my invention; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of theswitch used in said assembly.

In the machine shown, the wire I0, which is comprisedof a mandrel withthe incandescent lamp filament coiled ther'earound; is unwound fromspool II and passes over sheaves l2 and I4 and under sheave l3. Fromsheave H the wire passes through the annealing furnace l5 and then ontothe spool It. All spools and sheaves are 50 mounted in a fixed positionwith respect to'the furnace l5 except for sheave II which tends to swingout of the direct path of the wire to take up the slack and produce thetension required. Both spools II and I6 are driven, the latter fromshaft. 55 H which is turned by jack shaft to through gears .39 and .42on the axis of rotation of the assem- I 92I, rod 2| and gears 22--23,and the former byshaft 24 which is turned by said jack shaft I 2 throughtwo pairs of gears 25-26 and 21-28' at greater and less speedrespectively than spool ii. The selection of the driving pair of gears 5for the spool H is controlled by the vertical position of sheave H whichcauses the unreeling "speed to be increased and decreased when itreaches its upper and lower limits of movement respectively. The sheaveI3 is mounted on arm 10 29 which extends from hub 32 of-the switchassembly pivotally mounted on the screws 31 and 32 of bracket 33. Thehub 30 is provided with an arm-24 extending in the opposite direction toarm 29 on which a weight 35 is mounted which 15 partially counteractsthe weight of arm 22 on sheave l3. Enclosed within the hub between theend'pieces'fl and 31 thereof is located the mercury switch 38 which ismounted in the gaskets bly. The mercury switch 38 is preferably of thetype manufactured by the General Electric Vapor Lamp Company under thetrade name Ken-nector and comprises a glass envelope 4! which is dividedby the porcelain partition 42 into two 25 sections. Each section holds apool of mercury 43 which contacts the inner end of an inlead 44. Thefunction of the switch. is to make and break the electrical circuitbetween inleads 44=-44 by the mercury pools to flow together and nowapart through an ofl'set hole 45 in the partition 42 as the switch isturned. As the upper limit or movement of sheave II is reached, theyswitch is turned so the pools oivmercury flow together through the holein the partition 35 42 completing the circuit, and as the lower limit ofmovement of sheave I3 is reached, the switch is turned so they poolsseparate, breaking the circuit. In this application about 30 01'movement is "provided since the cohesion of the mer- 40 cury tends tokeep the pools from flowing together and then after they are jolned,tends to keep them together.

During the period the circuit through theswitch is open, spool H andshaft 24 are driven by 45 gears 21 and 28 through the clutch 46 sincethe direction of motion is such as to wedge the rollers 41 between thecam 48 and the roll 49. This arrangement unreels the wire it from spoolII at a slower rate than it is reeled up by spool It so 50 that sheave13 will gradually raise until the. circuit through switch 38 is closed.The circuit through the switch includes the solenoid it which isoperatedas the circuit is closed causing the armature ll thereof to be moved.The armature engagesarmitwhichturnsrod l3 causingarm II thereon to slidegear- I on shaft 24 so the dogs thereof engage the dogs of collar II.The gears 25 and II are constantly in mesh and are of such size as toturn shaft 24 more rapidly, causing the clutch 40 to be released sincethe rollers 41 thereof come below the more cut away portion of cam ll.The rate of rotation oi spool Ii is now slightly greater than that orspool vIt so the sheave It falls slightly. This method of operationtakes care or the change inthe amount or wire wound and unwound from thespools when they are full and nearly empty. as well as all otherdiscrepancies in feed. whatlclaimasnewanddesiretosecur'eby LettersPatent oi the United States is:

. In an apparatus of the type described, the

-- combination of an unwinding spool adapted to hold wire and a windingspool adapted to receive said wire, means for driving said windingspool, clutch means for driving said unwinding spool at a slower speedthan said winding spool. an-

other clutch means for driving said unwinding spool at a higher speedthan said winding spool, a sheave engaging said wire between said spoolsand movable in a substantially vertical plane ior taking up the slack insaid wire, electro-magnetie means engaging said second-mentioned clutchmeans, an electric circuit including .said electromagnetic means and aswitch means adapted to be closed by the upward movement of said sheaveto actuate said electro-magnetic means and bring into engagement saidsecond-mentioned clutch means to drive said unwinding spool at a higherspeed than said winding spool, and said switch means being adapted to beopened by thedownward movement of said sheave to actuate said'electro-magnetic means and cause said secondmentioned clutch means tobe disengaged and bring into engagement said first-mentioned clutchmeans to drive said unwindingspool at a slower speed than said windingspool thereby 20 maintaining a uniform tension in said wire.

. ROBERT I". KREJC'I.

